Babers Announces Addition of Six Assistant Coaches

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Orange head football coach Dino Babers announced the addition of six assistant coaches on Monday, Jan. 4. All six worked for Babers at Bowling Green and helped lead the Falcons to the 2015 Mid-American Conference Championship and a berth in the GoDaddy Bowl.

Tom Kaufman will be Syracuse's special teams coordinator/linebackers coach. Sean Lewis joins the Orange as co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Mike Lynch will share offensive coordinator duties with Lewis and coach the offensive line. Kim McCloud will be the Orange's assistant head coach/receivers coach. Nick Monroe will coach the secondary, and Brian Ward will be the team's defensive coordinator.

The six new Syracuse assistants boast a combined 22 years of experience working with Babers.

"The members of this staff are committed to the vision that I have for Syracuse football," Babers said. "As a group, they bring a variety of personal experiences that have shaped them into tremendous teachers, recruiters and developers of talent, and leaders of young men. They have a proven track record of success and are passionate about Syracuse University and the opportunity to return this program to prominence through extraordinary effort and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

"Our familiarity with one another creates continuity while moving forward with our plan for the success of the program."

Tom Kaufman (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers)
Kaufman has been a member of Babers' staffs at Bowling Green (2014-15) and Eastern Illinois (2012-13) for the past four seasons. He was Babers' special teams coordinator all four of those years and coached the linebackers for three seasons before mentoring the Bowling Green defensive linemen in 2015.

Kaufman's work with Bowling Green's special teams helped Ryan Burbrink earn All-MAC honors as a punt returner each of the last two seasons, including first-team plaudits in 2014. Kaufman also tutored 2015 All-MAC First Team punter Joseph Davidson and 2014 All-MAC Third Team placekicker Tyler Tate.

Another of Kaufman's protégés, linebacker Gabe Martin, recorded 115 total tackles and led the Mid-American Conference with 18.0 tackles for loss on his way to All-MAC Second Team honors in 2014.

Prior to linking up with Babers, Kaufman was a quality control coach at Texas (2011), Kansas (2010), and spent the 2009 season as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State.

Kaufman began his coaching career in the Division III ranks, working a total of seven years at Case Western Reserve (2002, 2005-07), Heidelberg College (2003-04), and the University of Chicago (2008) before making the jump to Division I.

Kaufman earned his undergraduate degree in English from John Carroll University in 2003 and received his master's degree in education from Heidelberg in 2005.

Kaufman has a wife, Stephanie.

Sean Lewis (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
Lewis has also spent the previous four years working with Babers. Lewis coached the receivers in 2012 and 2013 at Eastern Illinois, and in 2014 at Bowling Green. In 2015, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Falcons and helped run one of the most explosive offenses in college football.

The 2015 Falcons currently rank in the top 10 nationally in first downs (1st – 389), total offense (4th – 546.8 ypg), passing offense (5th – 366.8 ypg), third-down conversion percentage (5th –.502) and scoring offense (6th – 42.2 ppg).

Lewis' guidance helped produce seven 2015 All-MAC selections on offense, including the conference offensive player of the year – quarterback Matt Johnson. Johnson ranks second nationally in passing yards (4,946), touchdown passes (46) and is fifth in passing yards per game (353.3). He set the MAC single-season record for touchdown passes and eclipsed Ben Roethlisberger's conference season record for most passing yards.

Johnson wasn't the only Falcon to excel while working with Lewis in 2015. Wide receiver Roger Lewis (no relation) is second in the FBS in receiving yards (1,544), third in touchdown receptions (16), and fifth in receiving yards per game (110.3). In addition, he became the first Falcon since 1994 to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press (third team) and received second-team All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Record-setting production has been the hallmark of Lewis' units. His 2014 Bowling Green receiving corps was one of three in the FBS to feature six receivers with at least 20 catches, four with more than 30 receptions, and three with at least 50 catches.

In 2013 at Eastern Illinois, Lewis mentored Erik Lora to one of the best individual seasons in FCS history. Lora was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and finished fourth in the Walter Payton Award voting after setting the FCS single-season record with 136 receptions for 1,664 yards. The following year, Lora and Adam Drake both totaled more than 1,300 yards receiving and combined for 32 touchdowns. Lora was recognized as the best receiver in FCS football for his efforts.

Prior to his stint at Eastern Illinois, Lewis was a graduate assistant at Akron (2011) and coached the tight ends at Nebraska Omaha in 2010. Lewis got his coaching start as the offensive coordinator for Richards High School (Ill.) from 2007-09.

A four-year member of the Wisconsin football program, Lewis played quarterback and tight end for the Badgers from 2004-07 and
was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He earned his undergraduate degree from the school in 2007.

Lewis has a wife, Sarah.

Mike Lynch (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line)
Lynch is another four-year member of Babers' Eastern Illinois and Bowling Green staffs. Lynch coached the running backs in his first three seasons with Babers before being promoted to Bowling Green's co-offensive coordinator/offensive line and running backs coach in 2015. This past season, Lynch teamed with Sean Lewis to run one of the most dynamic offenses in the FBS.

The 2015 Falcons currently rank in the top 10 nationally in first downs (1st – 389), total offense (4th – 546.8 ypg), passing offense (5th – 366.8 ypg), third-down conversion percentage (5th –.502) and scoring offense (6th – 42.2 ppg).

Lynch's direction helped produce seven 2015 All-MAC selections on offense, including linemen Alex Huettel (second team), Jacob Bennett (second team), and running back Travis Greene (first team).

Before following Babers to Bowling Green in 2014, Lynch spent nine years overall as an assistant at Eastern Illinois, including six years coaching the wide receivers.

Lynch first made his mark in coaching at Utah State from 2000-04. While with the Aggies, Lynch helped coach three tight ends that signed with NFL teams. Chris Cooley was a third-round selection of the Washington Redskins in the 2003 NFL Draft, while J.R. Suguturaga and Casey Poppinga both inked free-agent contracts.

A Roseville, Calif. native, Lynch played two seasons at Sierra Junior College in California before finishing his collegiate career at the University of Montana in 1997 and 1998. The following season, Lynch got his first taste of coaching as a restricted earnings coach on the 1999 Montana staff.

Lynch holds a bachelor's degree from Montana and a master's degree in secondary education from Utah State. He and his wife, Emily, have two children – Madison and Will.

Kim McCloud (Assistant Head Coach/Receivers)
McCloud has the most experience coaching with Babers. He was Babers' defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois in 2012 and 2013, and at Bowling Green in 2014. In 2015, McCloud was promoted to assistant head coach for the Falcons and also coached the team's wide receivers. He and Babers first worked together as assistants for Art Briles at Baylor from 2008-10.

In 2015, McCloud's work helped Falcons receivers Roger Lewis (first team), Gehrig Dieter (second team) and Ronnie Moore (third team) earn All-MAC honors.

Under McCloud's direction, Lewis was a nearly unstoppable force. He ranks second in the FBS in receiving yards (1,544), third in touchdown receptions (16) and fifth in receiving yards per game (110.3). In addition, Lewis became the first Falcon since 1994 to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press (third team) and received second-team All-America recognition from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Before moving to the offensive side of the ball, McCloud built his reputation as the architect of aggressive defenses. His 2014 Bowling Green unit forced 33 turnovers in 14 games (2.4 per game). At Eastern Illinois in 2013, McCloud's schemes resulted in a Panthers defense that led the FCS in fumble recoveries (23), gained 37 turnovers, and finished sixth nationally in turnover margin (+14).

Prior to reuniting with Babers at Eastern Illinois, McCloud served as an assistant coach at Akron (2011), Baylor (2008-10), Nevada (2000-07) and Idaho (1998-99). At Baylor, McCloud coached two All-Big 12 safeties (Byron Lander, Jordan Lake) and served as the Bears defensive recruiting coordinator in 2009 and 2010.

A native of Los Angeles, Calif., McCloud was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at Hawaii, earning honorable mention All-WAC honors as a defensive back. He signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 1991 and played two seasons in the Canadian Football League (1991-92) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Following his playing career, McCloud broke into coaching at Kaiser High School in Honolulu and worked as a graduate assistant at Missouri in 1997.

A 1991 Hawaii graduate, McCloud and his wife, Renee, are the parents of two children – Kaleb and Rachel.

Nick Monroe (Secondary)
Monroe spent the last six seasons as the secondary coach at Bowling Green, consistently producing units that have ranked among the nation's best.

The Falcons are second in the Mid-American Conference and eighth in the FBS with 20 interceptions in 2015, including a team-high six picks by cornerback Alfonso Mack.

In 2012, Monroe's secondary ranked 13th nationally in pass defense (190.1 ypg) and featured All-MAC performers BooBoo Gates and Cameron Truss. The following year, the Falcons were even better, finishing sixth in the FBS in pass defense (170.9 ypg) and Gates earning All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row.

Before arriving at Bowling Green, Monroe coached defense for six years at Colgate University, including serving as the co-defensive coordinator in 2009 and as the program's recruiting coordinator in 2008. Monroe began his tenure with the Raiders coaching the defensive ends from 2004-05 before moving to the secondary in 2006.

In his last three years as the Colgate secondary coach, Monroe mentored four first-team All-Patriot League selections (Uzi Idah, Wayne Moten, Chris Ekpo, Cody Williams) and one second-team honoree (Moten) In addition, defensive back Demitri Diamond was named the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Colgate won a pair of Patriot League titles (2005, 2008) while Monroe was on the staff and made two Division I-AA (now FCS) playoff appearances.

Prior to his time at Colgate, Monroe was the secondary coach in 2002 and 2003 at Allegheny College. He helped the Gators capture the 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Monroe was a four-year letterwinner at cornerback for St. Cloud State University and earned his undergraduate degree in marketing from the school in 2001.

Monroe has a wife, Nicole.

Brian Ward (Defensive Coordinator)
As the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Bowling Green in 2015, Ward oversaw a defense that improved in several statistical categories from the previous year and featured two All-MAC selections at linebacker, including first-team honoree Austin Valdez. He also served as the interim head coach for the Falcons at the GoDaddy Bowl versus Georgia Southern.

The 2015 Falcons surrendered 4.6 fewer points and nearly 76 yards less of total offense per game than it did in 2014. In addition, Bowling Green allowed 39 less first downs and improved in the NCAA statistical rankings in passing yards allowed (up 44 spots), rushing defense (up 20 spots), scoring defense (from 106 to 84), and total defense (from 115 to 86).

Bowling Green also is currently 13th nationally in turnovers gained (27) and eighth in interceptions (20). Valdez was the leader of the unit, racking up 144 tackles and ranking 10th in the FBS at 10.3 tackles per contest. Another of Ward's charges, Trent Greene,
earned All-MAC Second Team plaudits after finishing with 115 tackles.

Prior to his stint at Bowling Green, Ward was the defensive coordinator at Western Illinois, molding the Leathernecks into one of the top defenses in FCS football from 2012-14. Ward's 2013 unit ranked seventh in the nation in total defense and third nationally in pass defense. Western Illinois also made improvements in a host of other statistical categories, including passing efficiency defense, tackles for loss, and sacks as Ward continued to implement his scheme during his second year.

In 2014, Ward coached two All-Missouri Valley Football Conference performers (Kevin Kintzel, Kris Harley). In addition, his Leathernecks defense put on one of the most impressive displays of the season against Wisconsin Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon, holding Gordon to 38 yards on 17 carries (2.2 ypc).

Before joining Western Illinois, Ward was the defensive coordinator at Drake in 2011 where he helped the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record and the Pioneer Football League championship.

Ward's other collegiate coaching stops include: McPherson College (1997, 2007-09), Glendale Community College (1999-2000), Wabash College (2001-04), Missouri Southern (2005) and North Dakota State (2010).

A 1997 graduate of NAIA McPherson College, Ward served as the head coach of his alma mater for three seasons from 2007-09 and compiled a 17-14 (.548) record. In his final season, he led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 mark, the program's first berth in the NAIA Championship Series, was named the CollegeFanz.com Sports Network NAIA Coach of the Year.

Ward also worked as the defensive coordinator and special teams coach at his alma mater in 1997 following the conclusion of his playing career.

Ward holds a bachelor's degree in history from McPherson and a master's degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. He and his wife, Amy, have three children – Travis, Ellie and Erin.

For complete coverage of Syracuse and Syracuse football, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Orange& Syracuse Football), Twitter (@Cuse & @CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and watch exclusive video content on Cuse TV.

Syracuse University Athletics

Babers Announces Addition of Six Assistant Coaches

Related Videos